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Nicole Tamang presented at the Darjeeling Court on Tuesday - refuses to wear a hood ?!! - clearly seen as delivering the killer blow, or suspected to be orchestrating the murder, or simply reporting it, now caught for legal cross questioning ?!! (Photo by The Himal News Special Correspondent)

Kolkata, Tue Aug 17 2010, 02:55 hrs: In what seems a carefully timed move, the West Bengal Police late on Sunday night arrested Nicole Tamang, one of the prime accused in the Madan Tamang murder case and a Gorkha Janamukti Morch (GJM) central committee member, from a “hideout” in Bijonbari in Darjeeling.

The arrest comes before an “official-level” tripartite meeting in Delhi on Tuesday between the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM. The arrest would put the GJM on the backfoot, hurting its bargaining powers as it seeks a settlement for an interim council. The last “political-level” talks were held in Delhi on July 24.

A GJM spokesperson said if the police had evidence against Nicole, they had no problem. “But we feel it is a fabricated case to weaken the movement for Gorkhaland,” said Benoy Tamang.

The West Bengal police had accessed telephone conversations allegedly between Nicole and other senior GJM leaders on the day of Tamang’s murder on May 21, which were reproduced by The Indian Express. President of the All Bengal Gorkha League (ABGL), Tamang had been killed in public in the midst of a rally.

The GJM has been losing ground since Tamang’s murder, while the ABGL has been on the upswing. Even Subash Ghising has got a fresh lease of life.

Nicole is the seventh accused to be arrested in the Tamang murder case. A number of accused are still on the run, and are believed to be hiding either in Nepal or Bhutan.

One of the accused is GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, who will represent the Morcha at Tuesday’s talks. From the West Bengal side, state Home Secretary Samar Ghosh and some other officials will be present.

Seventh round of tripartite talks to discuss regional authority for the Darjeeling hills

ABGL accuses senior leaders of the GJM of having “masterminded” the murder

KOLKATA, Tuesday, Aug 17, 2010: One of the prime accused in the murder of prominent political leader Madan Tamang in Darjeeling on May 21 was arrested from the Pulbazaar thana area of Darjeeling district in the early hours of Monday.

Nikol Tamang, a member of the central committee of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), was produced before a local court and has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody, District Superintendent of Police D.P. Singh told TheHindu.

So far nine persons have been arrested in connection with the murder. The arrest was made a day before the seventh round of tripartite talks in New Delhi between officials of the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM leadership, where the proposed regional authority for the Darjeeling hills is to be discussed.

While the development has put in an awkward position the GJM leadership that had earlier denied allegations of its leaders being involved in the crime, Dawa Sherpa, convener of the Democratic Front — a conglomeration of six non-GJM regional parties — said that the arrest “was one step forward” in bringing those behind the killing of Madan Tamang to book.

The Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), a major constituent of the Democratic Front, has accused senior leaders of the GJM, including its president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri, of having “masterminded” the murder.

“A demonstration was held outside the court at the time Nikol Tamang was produced there. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest of the masterminds. The arrested person was only a local agent of theirs,” Mr. Singh added. Mr. Sherpa also said that the Democratic Front is opposed to the proposed administrative set-up for the Darjeeling hills. “This is a matter of investigation,” Mr. Giri said.

In regard to Tuesday’s talks, Harka Bahadur Chettri, a senior GJM leader said that his party insists that the set-up being proposed for the region should have within its territorial jurisdiction, Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars region of north Bengal.

“There are matters related to its powers that need to be sorted out also. There are some departments that are being earmarked to be brought within the body with merely administrative powers, when what we are demanding is legislative and financial authority”, Dr. Chettri said.

Nicole Tamang - witnessed as having delivered the killer blow or just suspected as one of the main conspirators ?!! (DT - Rabin Rai)

From CNN-IBN

Darjeeling, Aug 16, 2010 at 16:57: Nikal Tamang, one of the prime accused in the killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, has been arrested by the West Bengal CID.

So far, ten people have been arrested. Nikal Tamang’s mobile was found from the murder site. Nikal is the member of the Central Committte of Gorka Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

The FIRs have been registered against 23 people including the GJM President Bimal Gurung. The GJM has been accused of involvement in Madan Tamang’s killing.

Morcha core member in net for hill murder – were Gandhi or Jinah accused for their supporters’ misdeeds during India’s independence movement ?!!

Darjeeling, Aug. 16: A central committee member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the prime accused in the Madan Tamang murder case was arrested from Bijanbari last night.

Nickole Tamang’s arrest comes a day before the Morcha is set to hold official-level talks in Delhi over the proposed interim set-up for the Darjeeling hills.

A contractor by profession, the accused, who is known to be an old friend of Morcha president Bimal Gurung, was also part of the party delegation that met Union home minister P. Chidambaram early this year.

Darjeeling superintendent of police D.P. Singh said the 42-year-old Nickole had been arrested from his ancestral home at Kaijhalay, 10km from Bijanbari. “We had information that he was visiting his ancestral house last night,” said Singh.

The police officer said the accused had been frequenting the area, occasionally entering Nepal through the porous border. “He told us that he had mostly been moving around in the adjoining areas and had also entered Nepal,” said Singh.

KL Tamta - the policeman on whose watch this was allowed to happen ?!! (DT)

The arrest is being considered a breakthrough as the CID, which is handling the case, had earlier claimed that it had recovered a cellphone used allegedly by Nickole to orchestrate the murder at Upper Clubside motor stand on the morning of May 21.

Nickole, the ninth person to be arrested in the case, has been charged with murder and conspiracy. He was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Darjeeling amid tight security and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

The Morcha leadership did not issue any statement on the arrest. But Bharati Tamang, wife of the slain ABGL leader Madan Tamang, demanded that the accused should be given the death penalty. “He should be hanged,” she said.

ABGL supporters demonstrated in the court here where Nickole was produced. They also set up a blockade on Hill Cart Road for 45 minutes.

Bail rejected

Suresh Raimaji - to also suffer the same fate as Chattray Subba ?!! (TT)

A division bench of Justice Amit Talukdar and Justice Mrinal Kanti Chowdhury of Calcutta High Court today rejected the bail petition of Sudesh Rai Maji, an accused in the Madan Tamang murder case. Maji had been arrested from Darjeeling on June 6.

Gurung ‘friend’ in hack net – the war of words ?!!

FROM THE TELEGRAPH CORRESPONDENT

Darjeeling, Aug. 16: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader and prime accused in the Madan Tamang murder case was arrested in Darjeeling last night.

The arrest of Nickole Tamang, an “old friend” of Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, comes a day before the hill outfit is set to hold official-level talks in Delhi over the proposed interim set-up for the Darjeeling hills.

A contractor by profession, Nickole is a central committee member of the Morcha. He was part of a party delegation that met Union home minister P. Chidambaram early this year.

Darjeeling superintendent of police D.P. Singh said Nickole, 42, was arrested from his ancestral home at Kaijhalay, 45km from Darjeeling town. “We received information that he was at his ancestral home last night. We arrested him immediately,” said Singh.

Nickole had been absconding since Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) leader Tamang was hacked to death in daylight on May 21.

Singh said Nickole had told the police that he had been “frequenting Kaijhalay and its adjoining areas for the past few days, occasionally entering Nepal” through the porous border.

Nickole, the ninth person arrested in connection with Tamang’s killing, has been charged with murder and conspiracy. He was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate of Darjeeling amid tight security and remanded in 14 days’ judicial custody.

The CID, which is probing the case, had said it had seized from Tamang’s murder site a cellphone Nickole had used to “orchestrate” the killing.

The Morcha leadership has not yet issued any statement on the arrest.

Tamang’s widow Bharati today demanded that the accused be given the death penalty. “He should be hanged. We want all of those who conspired to kill my husband to be arrested as early as possible,” she said.

ABGL supporters demonstrated in front of the court where Nickole was produced. They also blocked Hill Cart Road for 45 minutes.

Tamang murderer Nicole Tamang arrested – Tamang vs Tamang ?!!

From KalimNews

Kalimpong, 8.30am, 16 Aug 2010: Nicole Tamang one of the 6 prime accused in the Madan Tamang murder was arrested by CID last night. With the help of the Darjeeling Police he was arrested from Kaijaley under Bijanbari Police station in the Darjeeling- Sikkim border area.

After a tip off of his presence in his ancestral home near Kaijalay the police raided his house without any restraint. He was brought to Darjeeling and will be produced in the District Court and will probably be kept in police remand.

As of today eleven people have been arrested including Nicole. But of the main accused Tamang is the first while others are in the look out notice of the CID and are still at large. The FIRs have been registered against 23 people including the GJM President Bimal Gurung. Madan Tamang ABGL President was hacked to death in the broad day light on 21st May 2010 while he was preparing for holding a public meeting near Clubside of Darjeeling

During the murder investigation Police found a cellphone belonging to Nicole Tamang near the murder spot though it was said that the cell phone used by Nicole had a sim card in the name of Samir Dilawar. Name of Nicole was mentioned twice by Kismat Chhetri a GJVM leader and one Naresh after the murder conversation between Roshan Giri, General Secretary of GJMM and other GJMM activists which was published by Indian Express.

Nicole (Nichole/Nikal/Nickel/Nikel) was an executive member of GJMM and his name is registered in the 34 no in the list of GJMM Office bearers published by the party in its website as well as 30 no in the contact address list with his cell no as 9733166826.

It is said that he was driver of Bimal Gurung and later he turned into a petty contractor. He always accompanied Gurung till a couple of months before the murder. He use to stay near Ropeway Singamari in Darjeeling. His name was included in the delegation of one of the meeting of GJMM leaders with the Home Minister while leaving Bagdogra on 8th April 2010. Nicole’s name was included in the team with Roshan Giri and Amar Lama headed by Bimal Gurung. But a senior leaders denied that Nicole was in Delhi for his personal work and his name was referred by mistake.

The team had met the Home Minster on 9th April 2010 in the presence of Jaswant Singh, the MP. The talks took place ahead of the sixth round of tripartite talks on May 14, involving the Central Government and the representatives of the GJM. “Home Minister has assured us that he will talk to the Government of West Bengal and Trinamool Congress about the new territory. Along with this, we will also talk to Trinamool and Government of West Bengal,” said Gurung after the courtesy talks requisitioned by GJMM.

Earlier a telegraph news published that Nicole was arrested by CID near Kakarvitta, a Nepal border on 25 June 2010 which was a hoax.